Front wheel for aeroplanes.



H. A. ORME. FRONT WHEEL FOR AEROPLANES. APPLIGATION FILED JULY 1a, 1911.

1,106,51 9.. v Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

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o c g 0- I Z (a /a j o 2 O I (M H. A. ORME. FRONT WHEEL FOR AEBOPLANES. urmoumn FILED JULY 13, 1911.

a E n M 8 M m m 2 M n m 4 P T FmE HABIR IY A. ORME, OF WESLEY HEIGHTS, DISTRICT DIE-COLUMBIA.

FRONT WHEEL'FQR AEBorLANEs.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. O R vm,-a citizen of the United States, residing at Beechwood, Wesley Heights, in the District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement "in Front Wheels for Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to aeroplanes and more particularly to the construction and arrangement of the front wheel tobe used in connection with the aeroplane.

The object of the invention is to provide a front wheel which will yield to a certain extent and thereby serve as a cushion as well as a transporting means during the starting operations, and another object of the invention is to provide a cushioning device to be used in connection with the skids when landing.

Another object of the invention is to utilize this forward resilient wheel as a keel for steadying the movement of the aeroplane while in the air and a still further object is to utilize this wheel for steering purposes both on the ground and in the air by connecting the said wheel with the steering apparatus controlling the rudder and by this means this forward wheel will also serve as an indicator as the position of the forward wheel will at once indicate to the aviator the position of his rudder at the rear thereby avoiding the necessity of turning to lookat the rear rudder. -With these various objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination, or arrangement,v all of which will be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification: Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of, a portion of an aero Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 18, 1911. Serial 110.639,!)97'.

Patented Aug. 11, 19141.

united at their upper ends and connected to a cross piece C, the'steering wires C, being connected to the opposite ends thereof, said steering wires being connected to the foot operated tiller or lever C by means of which the rudder is operated as shown and described in my applicationfiled December 31, 1910', Serial Number 600,253. This connection of the wheel frame with the rudder steering mechanisminsures the movement of the front wheel in unison withthe rudder and by this means the aviator is able to see at all times the position of his rudder. The wheel carrying frame has guy wires D, extending from the center thereof to the skids F'F indicate members extending from the lower plane to the forward elevating planes and where these members cross as indicated at F. I pivotally connect the. up-

, per ends of the downwardly converging rods H, the lower ends of said rod'sworking in tubular sockets I, connected to the forward uprights B, just above the axle A. In the upper end of each tubular socket I, is a short bearing sleeve I, through which the rod H, passes and a pin H, passing through the end of the rod H, within the tubular socket prevents said rod being drawn out after the bearing sleeve I, has been secured in place.

Positioning arms K, are connected to the uprights B, and are ap'ertured at their outer ends for the purpose of permitting the rods H, to slide freely therethrough and coiled springs L, are arranged about said rods between these arms K, and pins or collars L, are fixed upon the rods H. These springs permit the wheel frame to yield and thereby relieve the frame of the aeroplane from all shock or jar at the forward end.

M indicates a flexible bar which connects the skids E, as most clearly shown, said bar being cut away or reduced at the center as shown at M, and in order to avoid breakage or fracture I preferably Wrap this re.-

duced or cutaway portion with tape or other suitable material as indicated at M. Brace .rods N, extend from the opposite sides of the wheel frame to the bar M, and are pivo-tally connected to said bar at N, upon opposite sides of the reduced or undercut portion, as most clearly shown in Fig.

2. This constructionand arrangement perv mits this connecting bar M, to spring or bow rearwardly'a slight distance when the front wheel comes in contact with the ground as in addition to the downward movement of the rods H,'there is also a slight rearward movement of the wheel and frame as a whole'and this is taken up by the flexible connecting bar and the braces connecting the wheel supporting frame and said bar.

If desired the spokes of the wheel may be interlaced with fabric thereby imparting to said front wheel the functions of the rudder as Well as a spring supporting or cushioning wheel. By the use of this spring front wheel a starting operation of the aeroplane is greatly facilitated inasmuch as the forward part of the aeroplane is properly supported and any irregularity in the ground will be taken up by this wheel. Furthermore the course of the machine while on the ground can be easily guided if necessary and after the machine is in flight this wheel as before stated will serve as a steadying keel and will also act as a forward rudder and an indicator to show the relative position of the main or rear rudder. In landing this spring wheel will take 'up all shock and permit the machine to land properly upon the skids.

What I claim is 1. The combination with the skids and side members of an aeroplane, of a flexible connecting bar, a wheel and its supporting frame, brace rods connecting said supporting frame and flexible cross bar and yieldable means connecting the said members of the aeroplane with the wheel supporting frame, as set forth. a

2. In an aeroplane the combination with the skids and side members, of a wheel and its supporting frame, yielding connections between said supporting frame and side HARRY A. OBME.

Witnesses:

CHAS. E. BRooK, PERCY H. Moons. 

